Ball



BALL

Filed July 15. 1929 IN VEN TOR Patented Nov. 13, 1934 BALL Joseph W. Clarke, StJio'uis, Mm, aaaignor of onehalf to Hugh K. Wagner, St. Louis, Mo.

Application Jul: 15, 1929; Serial at. 318,193 1 mm. (Cl. 273-60) This invention relates to balls, and pertains more particularly to a novel means of securing together the opposing edges of a seam in the cover that surrounds the core of a ball.

I Prior to the present invention, the opposing edges of the seam had been secured together by means of stitching that passed over the outside of the cover, so that the stitches of thread were exposed to the blows of the bat and were eventu-' ally beaten through and severed, thereby allowing the cover to open at the seam. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the provision of means for uniting the edges of the seam that will be protected from being 16 damaged by the blows of the bat.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a seam so united as to present a smooth outer surface of the covering.

Other objects, advantages, and desirable features of the invention, chiefly more or less ancillary to the foregoing, will appear in the course of the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ball havinga cover whose seam has been closed by the improved means of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view of a blank of cover material as it appears after being cut out of a sheet of the rawhide or other suitable cover material; Figure 3 is a view of the inner side of the same after the edges have been hemmed and the hem has been stitched to the body of the blank to secure it in position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlargement view of the inside of the blank showing details of the hemmed edge;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlargement view looking edgewise at the fragment exhibited in Fi ure 4;.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating the manner in which the closing of the cover on the core of the ball is initiated;

Figure '1 is a fragmentary enlargement view, partly broken away to reveal a section through thehem, exhibiting the manner of uniting the opposing edges of the seam; and

5 Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlargement transverse sectional view taken on the line 8--8 in Figure '7.

The covering of the ball is preferably, although not, necessarily, formed by uniting two like blanks of the usual shape so that they complement each other. The blanks may be formed of any suitable material, although rawhide is ordinarily employed, and for the purpose of the present invention the margin 1 of the blank 2 is provided with a series of nicks 3, and a closed series of perfora- 00' tions 4 that follows the outline 1 of the blank 2. The entire blank with its nicks 3 and perforations 4 is preferably cut out of the stock of material in one operation by means of a suitable die. The portion 5 of the blank that intermediates the row 85 of perforations 4 and theoutline 1 isfolded back on the line of perforations against the rear side of the blank, or the side that is to formthe inner side of the completed cover, so as to form a hem, which is secured against the body of the blank by stitching 6, as best shown in Figure 3. The purpose of the nicks 3 is to allow the arcuate portions of the hem to be-formed without buckling, so that they will lie flat against the body of the blank when folded thereover. The size and spacing of the perforations 4 is such that they will accommodate the lobes 7 of connective material between the perforations 4 of a like companion blank when these blanks are fitted together to complement each other in covering the ball. Those lobes 7 that are located at the extreme ends, respectively, of the blank 2, are intended to fit into the particular perforations 4 of a like complementing blank that are positioned midway between the extreme lobes '7 of the complementing blank. Otherwise stated, in order to unite two blanks 2 so that they will correctly complement each other, the lobes? that lie on the medial longitudinalJaxis 8 of one blank 2 should meet the perforations 4 that lie on the transverse medial axis 9 of its companion blank 2. To facilitate the proper assembling of the component blanks 2 of the cover, nicks 3 are preferably located on the longitulinal axis 8 to identify the extreme lobes 7 of the blank; and nicks 3 are, also, pref,- erably located at each side of the transverse medial axis 9 of the blank to identify those perforations 4 that are exactly midway between the extreme lobes '7. The said four nicks 3, therefore, function as indicia in addition to preventing buckling of the hem 5. A thread or lace 10 is passed several times through the core 11 of the ball to securely fasten or anchor one end therein, the component blanks 2 of the cover are properly coordinated or located with reference to each other by the aid of said indicia, and the free end of the thread 10 is' laced through the perforations 4 and through the hems 5 of the opposing edges of the respective blanks 2 in alternation and progressive- 1y along the as shown in Figures 6, '7, and 8, 1 10 the thread 1 being pulled taut at intervals to bring the opposing edges tightly together, so

' keep the seam tight. 9. conventional expedient 'being to sew the free end of the thread backand forth several times through the core of the ball.

. The hem-stitching 6 may, if desired, be omitted,

its principal purpose being to facilitate the laying of the cover against the core of the ball by maintaining the folded-back strip 5 fiat against the body of the blank 2. A thin thread 6 will serve the purpose; and, if worn through in the course of using the ball, the'thread 6 need not be replaced, since the seam will remain tight as long' as the integrity of the lace 10 is maintained. Being very thin, the thread 6 does not project unduly above the surface of the ball. It will be observed that the nicks 3 are located directly behind the lobes 7 rather than behind the recesses 4 in order to conserve the strength of the material. The folded-back marginal strip 5 is, also; preferably skived on the side presented toward the body of the blank 2 so that it tapers to nothing at the edge 1, thereby avoiding a hump on the outer surface of the ball over the edge 1 of the underlying strip 5. The taper is shown in Figure 8, It has been determined by experiment that a ball made in accordance with the present invention presents a smoother outer surface and'has a I much longer life than balls having covers whose seams were closed by exposed stitches on the outer surface of the cover, since the thread l0 of the present ball is I efiectively protected by the cover of the ball.

Having thus fully described this invention, I hereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A prepared blank of covering material for a ball having an edge portion adapted to be folded over, the line of the fold being provided with a series of perforations preformed for receiving a lace, and the free edge of said edge portion being,

nicked in staggered relation to said perforations to prevent buckling in folding the edge portion over the body of the blank.

2. In a ball, a cover comprising complemental segments having contiguous marginal edges hemmed throughout their length, each of said edges being provided throughout its length with a series of perforations, the lobes of connective material between the perforations fitting into the perforations in the contiguous edge of the adjacent segment, and lacing passing through the perforations of'contiguous edges in alternation.

3. In a ball, a core, a cover comprising complemental segments having contiguous marginal edgesfolded back against their undersides so as to fit snugly against said core, each of said edges being provided throughout its length with a series of perforations on the line. of the fold, the lobes of connective material between the perforations fitting into the perforations in the contiguous edge of the adjacent segment, and lacing passing through the perforations'of contiguous edges in alternation.

4. A prepared cover blank for a ball that complements a similar blank in covering the ball, said blank having a folded-back marginal edge provided with an endless series of perforations preformed in the line of the fold for receiving a lace and extending the full length of the said marginal edge, the said perforations being spaced toaccommodate the lobes of connective material between the perforations of a similar blank when 1 the blanks are fitted together to complement each other in covering the ball.

5. The method of making a cover for a ball which consists in blanking out the component sections of the cover, forming a series of perforations in each of the sections in juxtaposition to the entire marginal edge thereof, folding the marginal portion of the section back against its inner face on the line of perforations, and uniting the contiguous edges of the sections by threading lacing through the said perforations.

6. The method of making a cover for a ball which consists in blanking out the component sections of the cover, forming a series. of perforations in each of the sections in juxtaposition to the entire marginal edge thereof, folding the segments, each having a series of perforations adjacent its marginal edge and being foldable on the line of perforations to present alternate perforations and lobes, the lobes of one segment 'fitting into the perforations of the other segment and a lacing passing through the perforations of the abutting edges of said segments in alternation.

JOSEPH W. CLARKE. 

